Field
Embodiments of the invention relate to electronic systems, and in particular, to programmable low dropout regulators for radio frequency (RF) electronics.
Description of the Related Technology
Power amplifiers can be included in mobile devices to amplify RF signals for transmission via antennas. It can be important to manage the power of RF signal transmissions to prolong battery life and/or provide a suitable transmit power level.
One technique for improving efficiency of a power amplifier is average power tracking (APT), in which a DC-to-DC converter is used to generate a supply voltage for a power amplifier based on the power amplifier's average output power. Another technique for improving efficiency of a power amplifier is envelope tracking, in which a supply voltage of the power amplifier is controlled in relation to the envelope of the RF signal. Thus, when a voltage level of the envelope of the RF signal increases the voltage level of the power amplifier supply voltage can be increased. Likewise, when the voltage level of the envelope of the RF signal decreases the voltage level of the power amplifier supply voltage can be decreased to reduce power consumption.